13 of the best small music venues in London

As great as venues like the Eventim Apollo and Brixton Academy are, there’s nothing quite like seeing an artist live in a small space.

Aside from cheaper tickets and having a more intimate gig experience, you also actually have the chance to pop to the loo or the bar and not lose your space in a packed out crowd.

Small music venues are sadly shutting down more and more often and need to be supported, so here are the best pubs, bars and clubs to catch live music, events and gigs across London.

The Windmill Brixton

22 Blenheim Gardens, Brixton, London SW2 5BZ

(Image: Wikimedia Commons)

This unassuming backstreet pub plays host to an array of leftfield and underground artists. It’s a great place to discover new music, and the bar is conveniently at arms length from the stage. There’s also nearly always a dog on the roof, strangely.

The Finsbury

336 Green Lanes, Finsbury Park, London N4 1BY

(Image: The Finsbury)

This spacious pub next to Finsbury Park not only serves up fresh Italian pizza, but hosts nightly live music, comedy and open mic nights. The back room has a great stage with the grandiosity you’d expect from a larger venue at a fraction of the size.

The Shacklewell Arms

71 Shacklewell Ln, Hackney Downs, London E8 2EB

(Image: Wikimedia Commons)

This simple wooden floored pub has a small stage that plays home to some fantastic bands, with many of their events being free, or very cheap. They also put on an array of alternative club nights such as ‘Dance Yrself Clean’ which features music from the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Depeche Mode and Joy Division, and ‘NÜ WAVVED’ - a Gary Numan special, expect Gary Numan.

The Victoria

451 Queensbridge Rd, Dalston, London E8 3AS

A no-nonsense pub with a fantastic choice of beer and great rum. The Victoria has a notorious music room that has been home to gig fanatics for over three decades. Additionally, their club nights are sure to please, with whole nights devoted to the likes of Talking Heads and Prince.

The Social

5 Little Portland St, Fitzrovia, London W1W 7JD

This two-floored bar situated inconspicuously close to Oxford Street serves great food (they even have a vegan fish finger sandwich) drinks, and has a fantastic basement stage. The Social, since opening in 1999, has had the likes of the Chemical Brothers, the Avalanches and Lilly Allen. You can sign up for a free membership and experience happy hour offers.

The Camden Assembly

49 Chalk Farm Road, Camden, London NW1 8AN

(Image: Ewan Munro / Flickr)

Self-described as ‘Camden’s finest boozer’, this one’s on the larger side of what would be described as a small venue. Playing host to both unknown and popular talent, The Camden Assembly also hosts regular club nights with a focus on hip-hop and R&B.

The Old Blue Last

38 Great Eastern St, Hackney, London EC2A 3ES

(Image: Chris Whippet)

What was once an East End Boozer is now, as described by The Guardian, “The cradle of British music’s future.” The Old Blue Last is totally notorious as being one of the best venues to see music, very often for free. Their shows have ranged from the big, such as Hot Chip, Florence and the Machine and the Arctic Monkeys to lesser-known bands that are sure to make an impact once they’ve played here.

The Lexington

96-98 Pentonville Rd, Islington, London N1 9JB

A high-ceilinged bar with “a hint of Kentucky charm,” just 10 minutes walk from Kings Cross Station. Their music room upstairs hosts live music from upcoming bands as well club nights ranging from new wave, jazz and indie.

The Sebright Arms

31-35 Coate St, London E2 9AG

From the same team behind The Old Blue Last, The Sebright Arms is a hidden away pub with a great basement for live music. They have hosted early shows of big names like Courtney Barnett and Catfish and the Bottlemen.

The Fiddler’s Elbow

1 Malden Rd, London NW5 3HS

A no frills venue that has a lot of musical history, two bars, cheap drinks and the perfect sized stage for audience intimacy. The Fiddler’s Elbow pride themselves on their friendly attitude and openness to who can play there.